Monday, July 30, 2012

UN Arms Treaty: Obama Defers Decision Until After the Election

The election-year heat was too much for Obama. He sent down word to the negotiators: “Postpone this!”

The First Amendment movement still has too much clout for Obama to take on. Fast and furious action on the arms control treaty turned into slow and tepid action.

The official statement of the negotiating team came out four square behind the treaty’s goals. “The United States supports the outcome today at the Arms Trade Treaty Conference.” That, plus $5, will buy Obama a cup of Starbucks coffee.

The word was this: “Delay!”

While the Conference ran out of time to reach consensus on a text, it will report its results and the draft text considered back to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The United States supports a second round of negotiations, conducted on the basis of consensus, on the Treaty next year; we do not support a vote in the UNGA on the current text.